Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1887-08-10
FINDING nUaaEIL,s CAVE.

Ghas11y Sights IN tlHe Loa9-Fsrgotasn Hsd.
ing.Piacs u . Tsansssee Bandit.
We left Huntington, Tenn, for the
southwestern portion Of this county for
. few days bird and squirrel hunt
says 4 writer in the Nashville World.
While following o rocky branch known
q the Gin branch we came to whore il
skirted the margin OF . high hill. Our
setter Charley made . dash at . rabbit,
and both rabbit and Charley disap-
peared in the hill. The entrance was
Whist We supposed to be . crevice in the
rocks; in . moment the bats came pour
ing out by the hundreds. The weather
being chilly they fell to the ground in
. stuper a. soon rs the air struck them.
Their slumbcrs had been disturbed by
the dog.
We were enjoying the fun when, to
our a~stonishment, several large horn
owls came Hopping out-one gave .
dismal boot, 81 though he had not seen
daylight in years, OF wished to brighten
us away. Becoming uneasy for fear
our dog could not retreat, MI. Lee
went to the entrance Of the cave. TAX
ing q pole and probing some six feet,
he found it mado an abrupt angle TO
the right: the opening was barely suf-
ficient for . common-sized man to en-
ter; he grouped his way until it be-
came 80 dark that he returned and said
that it opened outinto what he believed
hear Charley running around and whin-
ing, as though be was lost and could
not find his way out. We sent to .
neighboring house and procured a
lantern. determined to rescue Charley
at all hazards. With lantern in hand
we both entered, compelled to crawl
on hands and knees for some distance
before we could walk erect; the en-
trance turned first to the right, then to
the left, in q zigzag form. Finally we
met Charley, and his bark as it echoed
and re-echoed, astonished us to such IN
extent that we raised our lantern over
our heads. which threw q bright light
around.
We were in q large room, ceilled on
all sides and overhead with rude clap
boards. Before us sat o large table
with q mutilated pack of cards in the
center; heavy wooden chairs around
the table q couple of large and rough
shop-made knives on n As
soon as we could collect our senses and
calm our staggered brain we found we
were in q secret cave that had nce
been occupied by q band Of outlaws,
but who or when was the question. In
surveying the room, which was IL by
IL, we found in one corner q black
something. Holding the light close our
blood was chilled. It was q large black
man, his skin and flesh as dry as those
who in ancient days were given passage
owe Styx. A large and rough-made
chain was locked around his ankle and
fastened to . staple in the floor In
the opposite corner lay the dried
frames of two huge bloodhounds; in an
old heavy wooden box was found two
old-fashioned horse pistols with flint
locks; they had undoubtedly done
service in the revolution; there were
also several pairs of handouts. We
began to think that w were in the re-
gion Of the damned. When looking on
the rough wall there we saw "the
handwriting" It was "John A. Muir
rell. 1928" We we're in the great out
laws den; we could then see that the
man chained had been stolen by the
old bandit-brought there and chained
until they could run him south and sell
him. The presumption is that when
the cave vas deserted he was alive; the
doom was sure, but what agony he I'M
derwent--chained and alone-his face,
like Millions devil, "grinned horribly
. CHASTITY smile" The bloodhounds
had been kept for the purpose of re-
capturing any slave that might escape.
John A. Murrell was born in Morgan
County, Tennessee. When . boy he
was considered . spry and promising
lad. After . few love scrapes he be-
came reckless and wandered out into
the mountains of North Carolina and
Tennessee-preaching, demonstrating,
bagging negroes, throat-cutting, and
blacksmithing. He served q long time
in the ~penitentiary and preached to the
convicts. Johns voice could always
be heard in prayer at a big camp-meet-
ing, and the deacons and elders often
had to walk home. The little house
in which he died is still standing in
Pikeville, Bledsoe County, Tenn. On
his death-bed he wanted to make &
dead-out confession, but was gagged
and comforted by friends, who ex
claimed: "Great God, John, dom
give us all away" Johns bones nov
rest at Smyrna